1. Field of the Invention
This invention resides in the area of fireplaces and chimneys and more particularly relates to a device that directs an air flow in fireplaces and also acts to reduce downdrafts and increase the draft in the fireplace chimney.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Some fireplace chimneys of the prior art incorporate angled plates which extend in the chimney upwards in the flue to help reduce downdrafts. Downdrafts cause air from the chimney to go into the fireplace, interfering with combustion and causing smoke to pass into the surrounding room. Typically, some air of a downdrafts in the chimney is deflected by such angled plate(s) and diverted from entering the fireplace area. However, such designs are not completely successful in preventing downdrafts, as the plates do not effectively block all air flow coming down the chimney. U.S. Pat. No. 4,019,491 to DiRocco teaches a massive chimney throat structure with an arc-shaped air shelf for drawing downdrafts into a diversion chamber, but such assembly is not easily retrofitted to an existing fireplace. The DiRocco structure is positioned completely above the fireplace area and does not extend into the combustion area, and thus does not act to help draw air from the surrounding room.